A Part of Both Worlds
by Idra Angea
Summary: Set five years after the movie. A young woman is suddenly overcome with intense, painful emotions, and has no idea of the cause behind them. She finds herself recruited aboard the USS Enterprise, and it is there where she finds the answer.
1. Prologue

**A Part of Both Worlds**

by Idra Angea

_Disclaimer_ – I own nothing... except for the plot and OC.

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An Unexplained Feeling

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Amidst the hot steam and bright blue sparks that spewed from every corner of the large and unbearably warm room, several young men and women worked diligently in what appeared to be sections of a replicated engine room. Each face glistened with sweat, all wearing the same bright blue jumpsuit and headband while they picked and carefully prodded at large pieces of scrap devices.

"Excited?"

The man glanced to the side at the shorter woman beside him, grinning widely.

"June?"

She didn't seem to have heard him, and after a few seconds before he was convinced that she didn't, he prodded her by the shoulder.

Realizing that the question had been hers to answer, the young woman turned her head to stare at her assigned partner. Her back was hunched forward, her face previously close to the large scrap of metal. "Excited over what?" After reaching past him for the wrench, she moved her face closer again toward the compressor that lay in front of them and started loosening a bolt.

"About joining Starfleet next year." Running a hand through his sweaty hair, he leaned back against the panel and crossed his arms. "I tried getting you pumped about it over breakfast."

"Then why ask again?"

"Because you didn't seem excited the last time and you _should_ be?" From the corner of her eye, she could see him slide closer to her. "Put that spanner down for a second and talk to me."

"Miles..." Her hand pausing over the scrap, June straightened her back and frowned deeply at him. "You do realize that we're in the middle of a test? If you're so excited about moving onto Starfleet, you should be worried about passing this exam."

"_Jesus _-- we've done all we can!" Miles motioned his hands toward the compressor. "All the bolts are secured, there's nothing faulty in the interior, and we've tested the damn thing enough times to see that it's working fine!"

"It's _not_. The performance is still a little weak and the last thing to tweak is under that stubborn bolt... If that is your definition of working fine, then maybe you should think twice about joining Starfleet."

Miles stared back at her with a half-hearted glare before returning his attention on the object. "This is stupid, though. Picking apart and reassembling a compressor's a complete waste of time. Besides... this kind is dead technology. Why couldn't they let us work on the ones used in Starfleet?"

"Because --" she let out a grunt as she used both hands to grip the handle of the wrench, "You can't learn calculus without knowing simple addition and subtraction."

"Whatever the hell that means."

"In other – words --" A trail of sweat ran down her forehead and into her eye, causing her to blink several times while securing her foot in the bottom part of the machine. Using her weight for added strength, her other foot lifted off the ground, "It's stupid to learn modern – _ugh_... equipment without diving into their foundations first."

After one final grunt, the large bolt was loosened.

June stepped back on the floor, unable to contain the satisfied smirk on her face. She turned and saw the strange look on her friend's face.

For several seconds, Miles stared at her with both brows raised. "How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"_That!_" he pointed to the disfigured bolt on her palm. "The bolt was welded on!"

"It was only welded on one side."

"But I couldn't even get it out before you tried!"

"That's because you gave up."

Miles rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to comment, but all words died in his throat when his friend suddenly doubled over in pain.

Having dropped her wrench, June leaned forward and placed her hands against the compressor. Tears began to leak from the corners of her eyes, which Miles noticed before her shoulder-length curls curtained forward to hide her face. It was as if something had entered her mouth and pushed all the air from her lungs, forcing the breath out of her. It felt impossible to breathe, impossible to cry out for help, and to her horror, she could see nothing but her hands resting on top of the compressor. Everything around her, including Miles, blurred from her vision.

She could hear him shout her name, could feel his hands gripping her arm, but his voice was so hazy that it was as if he was calling from a far distance. _What's happening to me?_ she screamed over and over in her mind, failing to notice that she was screaming it out in front of the students that began to crowd around.

Dying. It was the only explanation she could think of as tears continued to spill down her face.

She was dying.

--

"Was she sick at all this morning?" the professor panted, running down the corridor with Miles struggling to keep up from behind.

"No – she was fine all day!" The younger man was gasping for air, jerking his shoulder up to balance the woman's weight when she began to dangerously slip off his shoulder. They made a sharp turn to the right, shouting at several people ahead to make way before darting through them.

They ran passed another crowd and made one more turn before reaching the doors to the infirmary. The doctor, who was currently tending to a patient, looked up and quickly weaved around the bed to stride toward them. "What happened?" He led them to an unoccupied bed for Miles to settle her down on.

"We don't know," the professor answered, frowning.

"Do you know what she was doing before she got this way?"

The professor looked at Miles, prompting the younger man to speak up. "She was unscrewing a bolt." When the two men stared at him for a moment, he added, "A welded titanium bolt."

The doctor frowned. "I don't see how that might--"

"-- She was using a manual wrench, sir. We weren't allowed to use lasers in the exam."

Pulling out the tricorder, the doctor ran the hand-held device over the woman's body, and after a moment of silence, he gently shook his head. "Nothing seems to be wrong with her. Her heart rate is fast, but nothing abnormal. No fever, no strain on any muscle tissue." He cast an accusing look in Miles' direction. "Has she been vomiting lately?"

"What?" Miles asked defensively. "No! She isn't pregnant."

"You can't know for sure, son. Not until I run a test."

"No, she's too..." Miles was reluctant to finish it, "Just trust me when I say she's not pregnant. She wasn't nauseous, she hasn't been vomiting... Running the test will be a waste of time."

After staring at the young man for a moment, the doctor finally gave in and sighed. "Fine. The only thing I can say about the matter is to wait for her to wake up. When she does, make sure to call me over."

After he left to check on other patients, the professor turned to his student. "You know I can't stay long. Keep an eye on her. When she wakes, report back to me and we will discuss a make up date for your exam."

"Actually, sir, we were finished before she tried the last thing. The performance reading showed that the compressor is capable of functioning properly."

The professor looked down at the girl with a strange look on his face, and despite the worry that clenched around Miles' stomach, he couldn't help but grin crookedly. Since the start of their exam, June insisted that they use up every minute to fix the stupid thing. He was sure they would pass with a decent grade, but to his partner, decent wasn't always enough. The professor turned toward the exit, "Grades will be posted next week."

Finally alone, Miles grabbed a seat and pushed it by the bed before dropping himself into it. He lifted an arm and rubbed the sweat from his face, allowing the tranquil atmosphere of the infirmary to calm the violent pounding of his heart.

--

"... over six billion Vulcans killed while around ten thousand remain, including myself. I am now part of an endangered species."

After concluding the day's log, Captain Spock sat quietly in his chair, his dark eyes staring into open space. It was strange that he felt alone when the crew was currently in the bridge with him, performing their duties as they should be. But, perhaps the feeling of being alone in his current situation was not so strange...

His home; the world he grew up as a child; the first of two planets that gave him a sense of real identity... gone. His mother, the woman on that planet that had been his only source of true comfort -- gone... Both losses were pulling him apart from both sides, and even now, he could not determine which loss caused him more grief. The appliance of logic could not aide to provide an answer, and without the comfort of seeking truth through pure reasoning, Spock was faced with an obstacle so confusing and overpowering that it was almost suffocating.

Plus, being surrounded by the crew seemed to have only catalyzed the turmoil he fought to keep from overtaking him. Despite their discretion, he often caught several pairs of eyes staring at him. He could see the pain and loss in their eyes even when it was not their home that had been lost.

Human empathy was one of many emotions that often fascinated him, except now.

It would be wise to leave, he thought, when he could not trust his emotions despite the discipline he developed over the years to control them. Standing up from the captain's seat, he set off to go somewhere -- anywhere -- unaware that he was being followed into the elevator.

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_Author's Note:_ Well, here you go! My first fanfic ever. I'm a bit frightened about writing this, but Spock made it impossible for me to just ignore the impulse. Damn you, you attractive and intelligent Vulcan... ugh... It's also unusual for me to just hop into a fictional universe I know so little about, so if I make any mistakes and use Star Trek terms incorrectly, please let me know!

I'm currently in search of a beta, so if anyone would like to offer their services, message me! Or, you can help me tweak my chapters through your review.


	2. Five Years Later

**A Part of Both Worlds**

by Idra Angea

_Disclaimer_ – I own nothing... except for the plot bunny and OC.

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Five Years Later

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"Lieutenant Sulu, take her off impulse and engage landing thrusters."

"Yes, Captain."

Leaning forward in his seat, Captain Kirk's blue eyes brightened, his stare fixated on the view before them. They were reaching familiar territory at last, nearing closer and closer to Starfleet space station. But it wasn't the station that had their undivided attention -- it was the planet behind it. Earth, though it only appeared to be no larger than the size of a pea at the moment, had been the most welcoming sight their sore eyes could ever land on. Jim slumped back in his chair, failing to suppress the crooked grin on his face. Just one more stop and they would be home.

"Welcome back, team."

Standing beside the young captain, the Vulcan first officer stared out at the view, the expression on his face being the complete opposite compared to the uncontainable grinning that surrounded him. His eyes, however, appeared brighter than normal, the only indication that he, too, was glad to be back home. He could sense Nyota's eyes on his back and turned around to meet her stare.

She was baring her teeth like the rest, but the moment their eyes met, Nyota's grin dissolved, a tiny smile taking its place. In a brief moment, he silently noted the way her lips returned to their normal shape, appearing softer and fuller than when they had been stretched into a wide grin. Her dark eyes retained their crescent shape even after her expression softened, and he found himself admiring the tiny bags that appeared more pronounced from days of hard work. The human part of him felt compelled to react with just the slightest curving of his own lips.

The two officers hadn't been aware that a certain Captain was observing their silent exchange.

From the moment they made their relationship public, Jim had taken the liberty of watching the two interact. Well... if you would even call it interaction. If one took the time to observe carefully, he would notice the way they would briefly lock eyes with each other; see the electricity that sparked between the two.

And, if one were lucky enough, he would catch the the tiniest smile that tugged on the Vulcan's lips.

Even after all this time, Jim was baffled by their relationship. He'd gotten to know the emotionally-detached Vulcan better in the past few years, but every time he saw the two ravish one another through the mere act of staring, the Captain often wondered how his own boyish charm had absolutely no effect on the accomplished communications officer.

"Scot to Kirk."

"Kirk here," he replied, his finger pressed down on one of the buttons of the arm rest. "What's up?"

"We've got a bit o' a problem with one of the main engines."

"Will it pose a problem with landing, Scot?"

"No, we can definitely land, sir. But departing for the next mission might be a problem."

"And what is the problem with it?"

"Eh, can't quite figure it out yet..." Jim could hear faint scratching in the background and pictured Scotty scratching the side of his head. "Could be loosened wiring... but whatever the hell it is, it's been bothering the crap out o' me. The meter's off balance an' I can't know for sure what it is till we land."

"How long will it take to fix?"

Scotty sighed through the intercom. "A day, at most."

Jim paused, aware that his chief engineer would be forced to sacrifice the free time to work on the problem. "Alright, see what you can do." Their time on Earth would be short enough to begin with, and once they would depart again, it would be another while until they returned. Plus, his transporter guru wouldn't shut up about real BLT's over the last couple of days. "After we leave Earth," he added.

"Sir?" Scotty sounded uncertain.

"You heard me, chief. We've got a long mission ahead of us, so whatever time you have on Earth -- make it count."

--

Back on Starfleet, within one of the many long corriders, two cadets ran against the flow of traffic, weaving through and around the crowds of people. The shorter of the two led the way, a film of perspiration brightening her olive-skinned face. She carefully maneuvered herself and the taller dark-haired man that tailed right behind her, occasionally shouting apologies to those whose shoulders were bumped sharply. Her dark eyes were wide with determination, and every so often would look up at the the corners of every section of the hall to read the hologram clocks.

The dark brown curls that fell from her ponytail bobbed and whipped about from each sharp turn she made. "Come on – come on – Miles, _KEEP UP_!"

"Damnit, I'm _TRYING_!" Miles wheezed. "Slow down a little!"

They had been running all the way from the dormitories, which was located on the other side and a good distance from their destination. The young man tightened his grip on the woman's hand when he felt her grasp loosening. "We're not that late!"

"Yes we are!" She was then forced to slow down once they reached an area that was blocked-full with people.

"Just stop!" he stopped and muttered an apology after almost bumping into another woman. "What's the point? We're gonna be riding in those shuttles later!"

June wasn't listening, however, once she realized that they were getting closer to the end of the wide corridor.

The entrance led them to the top of the massive docking area, where the path led them running on the edge that overlooked the entire station. In the direction they ran, was a gigantic opening; the mouth of the station where all the shuttlecrafts would soon be entering. June glanced down at ground level, seeing that a small crowd was quickly filling the area to see what she had been longing to see. When she felt Miles begin to slow, she yanked his arm hard. "Damnit, _keep up!_"

"What--" Miles could barely shout at this point, and he stared incredulously at the back of her head. "But we're here already!"

"Almost!"

The sound of landing thrusters was faint, but the fact that she could even hear them at all fueled her legs to move quicker. Miles, who had been quite tired of running, pried his hand from her grip to run his own pace.

They passed the last sliding door that brought them to the large balcony, where those who came out could see a large view of Earth sky. June stopped at the railing, her hands gripping so tight on the steel that her knuckles grew white. Seconds later, Miles stopped next to her. Both were gulping for air as they waited, their eyes squinting under the sun light.

The sky was filled with several incoming shuttlecrafts; all coming in from every direction. The faint hum of the thrusters now roared across the sky.

June could feel the floor vibrate underneath her; felt the vibrating steel of the railing tickle her palms. The crafts that were closest to the base had begun to move into alignment now, forming a diagonal line that would lead them right into the mouth of hangar one. Behind the line of shuttles were several tiny more dots that scattered in different directions – all scheduled to land in different hangers of the academy.

"Still think this was a waste of a jog?"

Miles was blown speechless, and it took him a few seconds to realize that June was talking to him.

"Not anymore..." he brought a hand up to shield his eyes when he could no longer stand to stare in the light. "Nervous?"

"A little..." She leaned forward, allowing her elbows to rest on the railing. "Every will be different -- the environment. No more classrooms, no professors, no more testing... It'll all be real in there."

"It does feel a bit fast." He turned to her, smiling to reassure June though she had a feeling he did it to reassure himself. "But we'll be alright, though. We got this far, didn't we?"

June didn't feel at all reassured, but felt comforted by his words regardless. Turning to look back out at the sky, she watched as the line of shuttles neared the station.

--

"Wait, Spock."

The first officer stopped just a few feet away from the main door of the bridge. Before he could turn, he felt hands on his hips, the palms running forward slowly to snake around his waist. Spock closed his eyes when he felt Nyota press herself against his back.

The crew wasted no time in rushing out after the ship had finally landed on Earth, leaving Spock and Uhura alone in the bridge.

Running his hands along the length of her slender arms, he noted the warmth that radiated through the fabric of her uniform. "You do not wish to leave the ship?"

His question prompted the woman to tighten her grasp around him. "Not yet... It's been days since we've been close like this." He heard her take in a deep breath. "I've missed this."

Spock blinked, turning his head to try and face her. "But you miss Earth, do you not? Should we not continue this once we are off the ship?"

When he tried to take a step forward, Uhura kept him rooted on spot.

"I miss _this_ more." She smiled into his back when he said nothing, almost hearing the gears of logic winding in his head.

"I apologize," he said after a moment.

She pulled her head away, staring at the back of his head. "Apologize for what?"

He turned around in her arms, wrapping his own around her slim waist and caressed her cheek with the back of his finger. "After five years, I continue to find myself surprised and confused with certain... behaviors." he paused after that, his brows knitting together slightly. "Forgive me... That did not come out the way I wanted."

Spock expected her to be hurt, maybe even angered, but was surprised again when he saw Nyota's lopsided smirk. "You are not upset."

Nyota closed the gap between them and gently pressed her lips against his. She then pulled back to stare at him and spoke softly, bringing her hand up to cup his cheek. "I know you didn't mean it."

Eyes softening, he bent his head down and kissed her. It often amazed him how understanding and patient she was, even after the five years that have passed. Female humans, at least from what he'd observed in other relationships back when he taught in Starfleet, tended to be more sensitive toward their counterparts. Had any other woman been in her place, the relationship probably would not have lasted this far.

But Nyota, despite the situations in which he found himself still uncomfortable and unfamiliar with the innumerable complexities involved in human relationships, was never upset. Her hand would always continue to cup the edge of his face, her eyes probing deep into his before closing in for a gentle kiss. There would always be forgiveness in those soft lips, an indirect message she would often give when they were unnecessary. Even during situations in which he didn't deserve it.

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_Author's Note:_ If only you guys could see my desktop... Every window has the title "Star Trek" on it, since I've been switching back and forth between tabs to do research. Tomorrow I'm gonna watch the movie again for more studying... and also because I need to see my beloved Vulcan again. :P

If anyone spots mistakes, please let me know.

Reviews would be lovely!


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